Flip Image in n8n

What this node does

PDF4me - Flip Image mirrors an image horizontally, vertically, or in both directions and returns the result as binary data inside your n8n workflow. Supply the source image as binary data from a prior node, a Base64-encoded string, or a public URL. The flipped output is immediately available to route into cloud storage, email, a database, or any further image-processing step - no manual editing, no external tools.

Authenticating Your API Request

Every PDF4me node in n8n requires valid Credentials. Create or select credentials that hold your PDF4me API key so the node can authenticate image processing requests securely.

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Important Facts You Should Not Miss

Three input types - only one is required at a time

Set Input Data Type to Binary Data and fill Input Binary Field, or Base64 String and fill Base64 Image Content, or URL and fill Image URL. Only the fields that match your chosen type need values - leave the other two groups empty to avoid errors.

Horizontal and Vertical combines both flips in one call

Choosing Horizontal and Vertical as the Orientation Type flips the image in both directions simultaneously - the result is equivalent to a 180-degree rotation. Use this when you need to correct images that are both mirrored and upside-down, rather than chaining two separate flip calls.

Output File Name sets the binary filename - use the right extension

The Output File Name you provide is what the returned binary file will be named - including extension. If you supply a JPEG and name the output result.png, downstream nodes may see a MIME type mismatch. Match the extension to the actual image format for clean handoff to storage or email nodes.

Set Input Data Type, map the image source, set Output File Name with the correct extension, and choose Orientation Type before running the workflow.

Parameters

Required: Input Data Type, the image field that matches that type (Input Binary Field, Base64 Image Content, or Image URL), Output File Name, Orientation Type, and Binary Data Output Name. Async is optional.

Parameter	Required	What it does	Example
Input Data Type	Yes	Format of the source image. Choose Binary Data to map from a prior node, Base64 String to supply encoded image data, or URL to point to a publicly accessible image file.	Binary Data
Input Binary Field	Yes (Binary Data)	The binary property name from the prior node that holds the image. Use the n8n expression to reference it.	{{$binary.data}}
Base64 Image Content	Yes (Base64)	Base64-encoded string of the image to flip. JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP all accepted.	/9j/4AAQSkZJRgA...
Image URL	Yes (URL)	Publicly accessible URL to the source image. PDF4me downloads and flips the image from this address.	https://example.com/photo.jpg
Output File Name	Yes	Filename for the returned flipped image, including extension. Must match the actual image format to avoid MIME mismatches in downstream nodes.	flipped_image.jpg
Orientation Type	Yes	Direction to flip the image. Horizontal mirrors left-to-right. Vertical mirrors top-to-bottom. Horizontal and Vertical applies both simultaneously.	Horizontal
Async	No	When true, the operation runs asynchronously and returns immediately without waiting for the result. Useful for large images in batch workflows.	false
Binary Data Output Name	Yes	Key name under which the flipped image binary is stored in the n8n output. Downstream nodes reference the image by this name.	data

Quick Setup

1. Add a PDF4me node to your n8n workflow and select Flip Image as the action.
2. Choose or create Credentials with your PDF4me API key.
3. Set Input Data Type and fill the matching field - Binary Data, Base64 Image Content, or Image URL.
4. Enter Output File Name with the correct extension.
5. Choose Orientation Type - Horizontal, Vertical, or Horizontal and Vertical.
6. Set Binary Data Output Name (default: data) and click Execute Node. The flipped image is ready in the output binary.

Workflow Examples

Workflow ExamplesCommon n8n workflow patterns using Flip Image.

Mirror product images for a catalog export

1. An HTTP Request node fetches product image URLs from a PIM system API.
2. A Split In Batches node processes each image URL individually.
3. Flip Image runs with Input Data Type set to URL, Orientation Type set to Horizontal, creating a left-right mirror of each product photo.
4. Google Drive uploads each flipped image to a "Mirrored Assets" folder named by product SKU.

Correct upside-down scanned images automatically

1. Dropbox Watch Folder triggers when a scanned image arrives in an intake folder.
2. Flip Image runs with Orientation Type set to Vertical to correct the upside-down orientation from the scanner.
3. The corrected image is uploaded to the "Processed Scans" folder.
4. A Slack notification confirms the corrected image is ready for the document team.

Generate before/after image pairs for social content

1. Airtable triggers when a new image record is added to a content calendar base.
2. HTTP Request downloads the original image from the Airtable attachment URL.
3. Flip Image creates a horizontally mirrored version for the "after" frame of a side-by-side comparison post.
4. Both images are uploaded to S3 and the Airtable record is updated with the mirrored asset URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

What image formats does this node support?+

JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP. All four formats can be supplied via binary data from a prior n8n node, as a Base64-encoded string, or as a public URL. The output is returned in the same format you supplied. Make sure the Output File Name extension matches the actual image format to prevent MIME type issues in downstream nodes like email or cloud storage uploads.

What is the practical difference between the three orientation types?+

Horizontal flips the image left-to-right, creating a mirror image - useful for product shots, logos, or social media creative that need a reflected version. Vertical flips top-to-bottom - useful for correcting images that arrived inverted from a scanner or camera orientation. Horizontal and Vertical applies both at once, producing the same result as a 180-degree rotation, which is useful for correcting content that is both mirrored and upside-down.

How do I reference the image from a previous n8n node?+

Set Input Data Type to Binary Data, then in the Input Binary Field, use the n8n expression {{$binary.data}} to reference the binary output of the prior node. If the prior node outputs the image under a different property name - for example "image" instead of "data" - update the expression to {{$binary.image}} to match.

What does Binary Data Output Name control and what should I set it to?+

This field sets the key name under which the flipped image binary is stored in the n8n output item. Any downstream node that needs the flipped image references it by this name. The default value is "data" which works in most workflows. If you are processing multiple images in parallel branches and need to distinguish them, give each a unique name to avoid overwriting.

Can I use this node with the Async flag enabled for large images?+

Yes. Setting Async to true tells the PDF4me API to process the flip in the background and return the job ID immediately instead of waiting for the image. This is useful in high-volume or batch workflows where you do not want the n8n node to time out on a large file. The trade-off is that you need to poll for the result or handle the callback rather than using the output directly in the same execution path.

Related Nodes

Get Image Metadata

Read width, height, format, and DPI from an image before flipping to validate dimensions and orientations match your workflow requirements.

Compress Image

Reduce image file size after flipping before uploading to cloud storage or embedding in documents to keep file sizes manageable.

Convert Image Format

Convert the flipped image to a different format - for example PNG to JPEG - before handing it off to an API or storage system that requires a specific format.

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